Ore-car.



W. C. CARR.

ORE CAR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16. I913.

Patented N (W. 28, 1916,

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W. C. CARR.

ORE CAR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16. I913.

Patented NOV. 28, 1916.

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WILLIAM C. CARE, OF BUFFALO, NEVT YORK.

ORE-CAR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. CARR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cars for transporting ore or other material, and primarily to a braking means employed to control the speed of the cars.

The main feature of the invention consists in a utilization of a plurality of braking mechanisms, one of which is arranged on the car axle, and another of which is sup ported from the car body and includes a plurality of brake shoes constructed and arranged to bear against the track rails, and a connection between said braking mechanisms whereby they are simultaneously set or released.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a braking means which will operate simultaneously against both the car axle and the rails of the track on which the car travels and thereby produce a very powerful braking efiect.

' The invention also relates to certain details of construction, which will hereinafter be described and perhaps claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in tion is shown.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved car, also showing a fragmentary side elevation of the track and its supporting standards and illustrating the rail contact brakes in their elevated non-braking position. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the improved car also showing a transverse section through the track rails on which the car travels and a fragmentary elevation of the upper end of one of the standards supporting the rails. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the car and its supporting track with a transverse section through the car axle and illustrating the brakes in their braking position. Fig. 4: is a fragmentary top plan view of the track showing the diagonal shifting rail between the rails of said track.

In referring to the adaptation of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings in detail like numerals designate like parts. v

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 16, 1913.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

Serial no. 761,452.

This invention consists in so arranging and combining an axle braking mechanism and a track rail braking mechanism that theywill be simultaneously set and released, and in providing one of said braking mechanisms with a movable part which projects in the path of a fixed element located in proximity to the track and is adapted to be struck and moved by said fixed element as the car passes to operate the brake.

In the adaptation of the invention shown,

' 1 designates the elevated rails, and 2 the versteam railway, and as the country surround.

ing mines of this character, especially mines located some distance from a steam railway, is' usually quite hilly or mountainous it is necessary to provide simple, strong and eflicient means for controlling or slowing the speed of the car on some of the track grades owing to the undulating character of the country.

The car illustrated in the accompanying drawings consists of a body, 5, a frame, 6, on which said body is mounted, and axles, 7, journaled in the frame and having flange wheels, 8, mounted on their, end which are adapted to track on the rails, 1, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The axle braking mechanism, as illustrated, consists of an outer conical member, 9, which is loosely mounted on one of the car axles, 7, and is restrained on said axle against longitudinal movement thereon, and an inner conical member, 10, which is slidably mounted on the axle and is adapted to be moved into frictional engagement with the fixed member to set the brake or out of frictional engagement with said fixed member to release the brake.

An outwardly projecting tubular extension or sleeve, 11, is formed on the inner conical member, 10, on which a collar, 12, is loosely and rotatively mounted, being arranged between a shoulder, 13, of the sleeve and nuts. 14, screwed on the outer end of the SlQQT and a ball thrust bearing, 15, be in interposed between the inner nut, 14, and the collar, 12, to reduce the friction from the thrust.

A supplementary frame hung pendant from the car axle and fastened to the main frame of the car, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, consists of two end portions, 16, which are provided with eyes, 17, at their upper ends which constitute the journals in which the car axle is mounted and, in fact, actually form the only supporting journals for the car axle, and a horizontal lower portion, 18, which extends between and connects the lower terminals of the end portions, 16. The end portions, 16, are fastened to the main frame by bolts, 19, below the eyes, 17, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The slidable inner member, 10, is pre vented from rotating independently of the car axle by a longitudinally projecting bar, which is .tted rigidly'in a groove in the car axle and projects and slides in a longitudinal groove iormed in the inner surface of the member, 10, and its tubular extension, 11, as shown in Fig. 2.

A coil spring, 21, is loosely arranged around the car axle as shown in Fig. 2 with one end pressing against the outer end of the extension, or sleeve, 11, and the opposite end bearing against an adjusting ring, 22, on the car axle. The function of the spring is to press or force the inner slidable member toward the outer member. The tension of the spring, 21, can be regulated to vary the amountof the pressure by longitudinally adjusting the ring, 22, on the axle. The ring, 22, is fastened in its adjusted position by a set screw, 23.

The slidable member, 10, is normally held out of frictional contact with the fixed memher and an arm, 2%, which is mounted so as to have a transverse rocking movement is connected to said slidable member so as to move the same out of frictional engagement 'ith the fixed member. The rock arm, 24-, is provided at its upper end with a curved or bifurcated upper portion,25,which is pivotally fastened to the collar, 12, by bolts, 26, and at its lowerend with a roll, 27, which is rotatively mounted on said lower end. The arm, 2%, is transversely rocked on its pivot bolt by a shifting rail, 30, which is arranged between the main rails. 1,

of the track and extends diagonally with respect to'the said main rails. The shifting rail is fastened in stationary position to the connecting portion, 4:, of the forked upper portion of one of the supporting stax'idards by bolts, 31, which pass through a lateral flange or extension, 32, on the shifting rail as shown in Figs. 2 and 4C. The diagonal shifting rail is so located and arranged that the roll, 27, rotatively mounted at the lower end of the arm, 2%, contacts with and rolls upon its side surface, as shown in Fig. The purpose of the shifting rail is to rock the arm, 24:, in a direction to disengage the slidable member of the brake from frictional engagement with the fixed member and means are provided for automatically locking the slidable member out of frictional engagement with the fixed member, when the arm, 2%, reaches the outer limit of its disengaging movement. The preferable con struction of this locking means as shown consists of a rock shaft, 33, which is jour-- naled in brackets, 34, bolted in depending position beneath the connecting portion, 18, of the supplementary frame, a spring, 35, coiled loosely around the rock shaft, 33, and having one end fastened to the rock shaft by a screw, and the opposite end bent to extend upward and engage against the edge of the connecting portion, 18, and a lateral stop, or projection, 37,-which is adapted to be turned by the rocking of the shaft, 33, to project against the edge of the arm, 24, and thereby lock said arm in its disengaging position and the slidable member bf the brake in its non-braking position. The tendency of the spring, 35, is to rock the shaft, 33, in a direction to move the stop, 37, in lap looking engagement with the arm, 2 l, or from the position indicated inFig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 2. The rock shaft, 33, is rocked in the opposite direction sufiiciently to turn the stop, 37, from looking engage ment with the arm, 24:, thereby freeing said arm so' that it may rock transversely in a direction to permit the slidable member to move into frictional engagement with the fixed member and thereby set the brake. This is accomplished by means of a crank arm, or trigger, 38, which is fastened to one end of the rock shaft, 33, and projects down into the path of a projecting lug, 39, fastened to the supplementary frame and against which-the said crank arm or trigger is adapted to impinge or strike as the car passes. In practice the lug, 39, is located at the top or beginning of a steep grade, and the shifting rail, 30, at the lower end of the grade so that the brake will be automatically set at the beginning of the grade and automatically released at the lower end of the grade.

In setting the axle brake or moving it from a non-braking position to a braking position the crank arm, or trigger, 38, is tilted longitudinally back by contact with the 1ug, 39, which in turn rocks the shaft, 33, turning the stop, 38, from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3 and releasing the arm, 24. The tension of thespring, 21, now forces the slidable inner member, 10, into frictional -brak-- ing contact with the outer fixed member and;

at the same time shifts the arm, 24, transversely.

The axle brake is automatically released by transverse movement of the arm, 24, which is caused by the engagement of the roll, 27, with the side surface of the shifting rail, 80, in the manner indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4. This movement of the arm, 2%, slides the inner member, 10, against the tension of the spring, 21, and out of frictional engagement with the fixed member. lVhen the arm, 2%, is at or near the outer limit of its disengaging movement it passes the stop or projection, 37, which is immediately thrown into locking position or into the position shown in Fig. 2 by the tension of the spring, 35, which serves to rock the shaft, 33.

A second braking mechanism is supported from the body of the car and comprises a plurality of elements which are adapted to contact with the rails of the track. This second braking means will be hereinafter termed the track rails braking mechanism, and consists of a plurality of brake shoes which are pivotally supported at different points from a car body and are adapted to be forced down upon the top surface of the rails on which the car travels.

In the preferred adaptation illustrated four brake shoes are employed, being arranged in pairs and located at each cor ner of the car, as shown in Fig. 1. As the brake shoes and their supporting arms are identical, a detail description of one will suflice for all.

The brake shoe consists of a body, t0, having an outer flange, 41, and a top longitudinally extending rib, 4:2. The angular levers from which the shoe is supported have an upper portion, 43, whichis pivoted at its lower end to the carbody by apivot pintle, 14, a curved portion, 45, which curves laterally from the lower end of the upper portion 43, and then downwardly and a lower portion, 46, that is fastened to the lower end of the curved portion, 45. The lower ends of the curved portion, 45, and the upper end of the lower portion, 46, are provided with opposed flanges, 47 and 48, through which bolts are passed to fasten the members together and a plate, 49, of insulating material is placed between the flanges to prevent the pasage of the electric current. The body of the lower portion, 4 6, is in the form of a fork or bifurcation, and the central portion of the rib, 42, on the brake shoe is widened and fitted between the members of the fork being pivoted in place by a pin, 50.

The brake shoes and their supporting arms are arranged in opposed pairs and are connected to each other by a flexible connection or wire cable, 51, the opposite ends of which are connected to the upper ends of the upper portions, 43, of the angular levers. The wire'cable is preferably divided into two portions and a turn buckle, 52 is used to connect the two portions to provide means for varying the cable in length. The opposed brake shoes are moved downward into contact with the rail by moving the upper portions of the levers toward each other. This is accomplished by an arm, 53, which is pivoted at its lower end to the side of the car body by a pivot, 5%, and is provided with a transversely extending lower por-- tion, 55, at the opposite ends of which two grooved rollers, 56 and 57 are respectively and rotatively mounted on pins, 58. The wire cable, 51, passes loosely under the roller, 56, and over the roller, 57. The upper portlons, 43, are drawn toward each other to move the brake shoes downward against the rail surface by turning the arm, 53, toward the left on its pivot. A wire cable, 59, is fastened at one end of the upper end of the arm, 56, and at its other end to a crank, 60, on a rock shaft, 61, located at one end of the car body. A coiled spring, 62, is fastened at its respective ends to the car body and the angular lever of each brake shoe and serves to maintain the brake shoe normally in an elevated non-braking position. The shaft, 61, is provided with a long angular lever arm, 63, and a wire cable 64;, which has its upper end fastened to the lever arm, 63, extends downward and bends around a grooved pulley, 65, fastened to a vertical extension, 66, of the car frame. being secured at its lower end to the fixed member of the axle braking mechanism.

The operation of this portion of the mechanism is as follows: The axle braking mechanism being set in the manner heretofore described, the rotation of the car axle carries with it the member 9 of the brake, winding the lower end of the cable, 64, around the extension lever which thereby constitutes a winding drum for the cable and drawing the lever arm, 63, down and rocking the shaft, 61. This in turn moves the crank, 60, and the arm, 53, and by bending the cable, 51, to shorten the same forces the brake shoes down into frictional contact with the track rails.

The chief advantage of this invention is that braking pressure is simultaneously applied to both the car axle and the rails of the track, thereby distributing the braking strain and also providing a very powerful and quick acting braking means which will hold the car on extremely steep grades.

I claim 1. The combination of a car arranged for travel on a track, of braking mechanism for said car, means carried by the car for automatically actuating the braking mechanism, a member connected with said means, a lock for normally holding the member inoperative, means carried by the track for releasing the lock, and additional means carried by the track for actuating the member to restore the lock.

The combination of a car arranged for travel on a track, of braking mechanism for said car means carried by the car for automatically actuating the braking mechanism, a lever controlled by the actuating means, a shaft carried by the car, a lug carried by the shaft and normally interposed in the path of the lever to prevent such movement of the lever as Will permit operation of the ordinary brake setting means, and a stop secured to the track to operate the shaft to move the lug beyond the path of movement of the lever.

3. The combination of a car arranged for travel on a track, of braking mechanism for said car, means carried by the car for automatically actuating the braking mechanism, alever controlled by the actuating means, a shaft carried by the car, a lug carried by the shaft and normally interposed in the path of the lever to prevent such movement of the lever as will permit operation of the ordinary brake setting means, anda stop secured to the track to operate the shaft to move the lug beyond the path of movement of the lever, and additional means carried by the track to swing the lever to a position to be again engaged by the lug.

WILLIAM C. CARR. lVitnesses RosALm E. CARR, CHARLES J. FORAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

